Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 97.djvu/189

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PUBLIC LAW 98-21 —APR. 20, 1983 97 STAT. 157 hospital resources used with respect to discharges classified within that group compared to discharges classified within other groups. "(C) The Secretary shall adjust the classifications and weighting factors established under subparagraphs (A) and (B), for discharges in fiscal year 1986 and at least every four fiscal years thereafter, to reflect changes in treatment patterns, technology, and other factors which may change the relative use of hospital resources. "(D) The Commission (established under subsection (e)(2)) shall consult with and make recommendations to the Secretary with respect to the need for adjustments under subparagraph (C), based upon its evaluation of scientific evidence with respect to new prac- tices, including the use of new technologies and treatment modali- ties. The Commission shall report to the Congress with respect to its Report to evaluation of any adjustments made by the Secretary under subpar- Congress. agraph (C). "(5)(A)(i) The Secretary shall provide for an additional payment for a subsection (d) hospital for any discharge in a diagnosis-related group, the length of stay of which exceeds the mean length of stay for discharges within that group by a fixed number of days, or exceeds such mean length of stay by some fixed number of standard deviations, whichever is the fewer number of days. "(ii) For cases which are not included in clause (i), a subsection (d) hospital may request additional payments in any case where charges, adjusted to cost, exceed a fixed multiple of the applicable DRG prospective payment rate, or exceed such other fixed dollar amount, whichever is greater. "(iii) The amount of such additional payment under clauses (i) and (ii) shall be determined by the Secretary and shall approximate the marginal cost of care beyond the cutoff point applicable under clause (i) or (ii). "(iv) The total amount of the additional payments made under this subparagraph for discharges in a fiscal year may not be less than 5 percent nor more than 6 percent of the total payments projected or estimated to be made based on DRG prospective pay- ment rates for discharges in that year. "(B) The Secretary shall provide for an additional payment amount for subsection (d) hospitals with indirect costs of medical education, in an amount computed in the same manner as the adjustment for such costs under regulations (in effect as of Janu- ary 1, 1983) under subsection (a)(2), except that in the computation under this subparagraph the Secretary shall use an educational adjustment factor equal to twice the factor provided under such regulations. "(C)(i) The Secretary shall provide for such exceptions and adjust- ments to the payment amounts established under this subsection as the Secretary deems appropriate to take into account the special needs of regional and national referral centers (including those hospitals of 500 or more beds located in rural areas), and of public or other hospitals that serve a significantly disproportionate number of patients who have low income or are entitled to benefits under part A of this title. "(ii) With respect to a subsection (d) hospital which is a 'sole community hospital', payment under paragraph (1)(A) for any cost reporting period or fiscel year beginning on or after October 1, 1984, shall be determined under the formula provided in clause (i) of that paragraph with the target and DRG percentages determined under paragraph (l)(C)(i) (except that any reference to paragraph (2) shall